Most, if not all, criticisms of the Bush administration's motivation for launching a preemptive war on Iraq focus on a combination of the imperial world views of conservative politicians in power in Washington, D.C., and the corporate interests that drive the political agenda of the Bush administration. This study will provide a radically different political analysis of the Bush administration's motivation for going war, and of the explanations offered by his critics. This study provides an exopolitical analysis of the policy dimensions of an historic extraterrestrial presence that is pertinent to Iraq and a US led preemptive attack. It will be argued that competing clandestine government organizations are struggling through proxy means to take control of ancient extraterrestrial (ET) technology that exists in Iraq, in order to prepare for an impending series of events corresponding to the 'prophesied return' of an advanced race of ETs. The Columbia Space Shuttle may well have been a high profile victim of such a proxy war intended to send a message to US based clandestine organizations over the preemptive war against Iraq.

In conducting this analysis, this study examines the available evidence of an historical ET presence in Iraq, and then applies this evidence to better understand the contemporary political situation in Iraq. The study will then analyze the motivations of the main political actors in the prospective US led preemptive war against Iraq. The study concludes by making some policy recommendations concerning how to respond to the legacy of an ET presence in Iraq and its contemporary political relevance.

Dr. Michael E. Salla has held academic appointments in the School of International Service, American University, Washington DC (1996-2001), and the Department of Political Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (1994-96). He taught as an adjunct faculty member at George Washington University, Washington DC., in 2002. He is currently researching methods of Transformational Peace as a Researcher in Residence in the Center for Global Peace (2001-2003) and directing the Center's Peace Ambassador Program which uses transformational peace techniques for individual self-empowerment. He has a PhD in Government from the University of Queensland, Australia, and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of The Hero's Journey Toward a Second American Century (Greenwood Press, 2002) and author/coeditor of three other books: Essays on Peace (Central Queensland University Press, 1995); Why the Cold War Ended (Greenwood Press, 1995); and Islamic Radicalism, Muslim Nations and the West (1993). He has authored more than seventy articles, chapters, and book reviews on peace, ethnic conflict and conflict resolution. He has conducted research and fieldwork in the ethnic conflicts in East Timor, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Sri Lanka. He has organized a number of international workshops involving mid to high level participants from these conflicts. He has a personal website at www.american.edu/salla/ .

In his 2003 State of the Union address President George W. Bush declared "the gravest danger facing America and the world, is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." (1) In his speech, President Bush eloquently expressed his main motivation for launching a preemptive war against Iraq in order to prevent "a day of horror like none we have ever known." Critics of President Bush's preemptive policy, including the political commentator, Robert Fisk, argue the upcoming US led war against Iraq "isn't about chemical warheads or human rights: it's about oil." (2) According to another prominent political commentator, Michael Lind, the motivation lies in the preemptive military doctrine championed by 'neo-conservatives' such as Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, whose policy views were given more prominence after the September 11 attack. (3)

Most, if not all, criticisms of the Bush administration's motivation for going to war focus on a combination of the imperial world views of conservative politicians in power in Washington, D.C., and the corporate interests that drive the political agenda of the Bush administration. This paper will provide a radically different political analysis of the Bush administration's motivation for going war, and of the explanations offered by his critics. It will be argued that the focus on either the factors supporting a preemptive war against an Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction; or on criticisms against US imperialism and corporate interests, are not so much wrong, but simply reflect a limited political paradigm for understanding the motivations behind US foreign policy.

The political paradigm to be used in this paper is based on 'exopolitics'. (4) This paradigm starts with the premise that there exists an extraterrestrial (ET) presence on Earth which clandestine government organizations have been withholding knowledge of from the general public and elected public officials. Rather than being an unsubstantiated 'conspiracy theory' with little relevance to contemporary policy issues such as a preemptive US war against Iraq, it will be argued that an exopolitical analysis can provide a more comprehensive understanding of what motivates the Bush administration in launching a preemptive attack against Iraq.

Exopolitics as an emerging field of public policy is primarily based on the evidence provided by a range of sources supporting the idea of an ET presence that is known by clandestine government organizations that suppress this from the general public and elected political leaders. (5) The most important evidence comes from former military and government officials who have come forward to give 'whistle blower' testimony in a number of non-governmental initiatives to promote disclosure of the ET presence. (6) While many disagree over the plausibility of the available evidence and take various positions either for or against the existence of an ET presence and government non-disclosure of this presence, exopolitics is based on the premise that such debate ought not preclude discussion of the implications of such a presence among policy makers and the general public. Therefore when one examines contemporary international issue such as a US led preemptive war in Iraq, one can explore the viewpoints offered by those using an exopolitical analysis, and consider the plausibility of these for a more comprehensive understanding of foreign policy, irrespective of the ongoing debate over the persuasiveness of the available evidence. This is necessary since those actively involved in a non-disclosure program will be use disinformation, intimidation and other strategies to deter witnesses, distort evidence, and deter public attention from the ET presence and how it pertains to a range of contemporary policy issues. Finally, a clandestine campaign of non-disclosure needs to be considered in conducting exopolitical analysis in terms of the likelihood of this influencing and/or compromising available empirical evidence that otherwise would confirm an ET presence. Therefore, exopolitical analysis has some key differences from more conventional approaches to political analysis which are based on a traditional social scientific method of a value free, objective analysis of available processes, institutions and actors in the public policy arena.

What follows is an exopolitical analysis of the policy dimensions of an historic ET presence that is pertinent to Iraq and a US led preemptive attack on the regime of Saddam Hussein. In conducting this analysis, I will first examine the available evidence of an historical ET presence in Iraq; then apply this evidence to better understand the contemporary political situation in Iraq; I will then analyze the motivations of the main political actors in the prospective US led preemptive war against Iraq; and finally conclude by making some policy recommendations.

What's the Evidence for an historic ET presence in Iraq?

The strongest available evidence for an historical ET presence in Iraq comes from cuneiform tablets directly recording the beliefs and activities of the ancient Sumerians whose civilization began almost overnight in 3800 BC. Most of these cuneiform tablets relate stories of the Sumerians interacting with their 'gods'. Most archeologists initially accepted that these were merely myths and attached little importance to them other than giving insight into the mytho-religious beliefs of the ancient Sumerians. That viewpoint received a major challenge in 1976 when the Sumerian scholar, Zecharia Sitchin, published the first of a series of books on his translations of thousands of Sumerian tablets. (7) Rather than treating the stories of the gods as myths that had little empirical relevance, Sitchin interpreted the tablets as literal descriptions of events as they occurred in the time.

Sitchin's translations of Sumerian cuneiform tablets revealed precise information on a range of topics that he argues could not have been possible for a civilization at the initial stages of its development with no obvious predecessor civilization to borrow from. According to Sitchin, the Sumerians had detailed knowledge of all the planets in the solar system, understood the precession of the equinoxes, and also had an understanding of complex medical procedures. (8) As to where they could have gained this detailed knowledge, Sitchin's translations suggest that the Sumerians provided a clear answer for its ultimate source. They revealed in their tablets that all their knowledge came from a race of extraterrestrial visitors the 'Anunnaki' ('those who from heaven to Earth came') who were not only teachers for the Sumerians, but also played a role in the creation of the human race. The origin of this ET race was a planet called Nibiru that had a long elliptical journey around the sun, and returned to this region of the solar system every 3,600 years. (9)

When Sitchin's innovative work was first published, it raised great controversy and intense debate between those either for or against his main thesis of an historic ET presence in Sumer that was responsible for starting the remarkable Sumerian civilization. Among those responding favorably to Sitchin's thesis included established popular authors such as Erik Von Danniken who had himself written in 1969, the best selling book, Chariots of the Gods, that proposed an historic ET presence in different parts of the planet. (10) Another popular author, David Hatcher Childress, outlines with great detail the ET technology possessed by ancient civilizations in his various books. (11) Less well known authors such as William Henry have similarly published books supporting Sitchin's thesis. (12)

To support Sitchin's thesis, many authors typically cite biblical texts that make reference to the 'gods' that resided on Earth and interacted with humanity. The biblical text most referred to is the apocryphal book of Enoch. (13) While the Book of Enoch was excluded in most versions of the Old Testament, it was nevertheless part of ancient Hebrew scholarship and indeed is included in the Ethiopian and Slavic versions of the Old Testament. The Book of Enoch describes a rebel group of angels, the 'Nephilim', who numbered 200, who settled the Earth and interbred with the human population before being recalled and punished by their superiors, the 'Elohim'. (14) The Book of Enoch provides contextual detail for mysterious verses in the Book of Genesis which describes a time when the 'sons of gods', the Nephilim/Anunnaki, interbred with humanity, and created a race of giants/heroes that ruled over the rest of humanity: "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterwards-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." (15) Supporters of the Sitchin thesis say that this is part of the biblical evidence that an advanced ET race did in fact exist on Earth, had a long interaction with humanity, and even played a role in the creation of the human race.

In addition to the growing number of authors, independent archaeologists and biblical commentators supporting Sitchin's thesis, there are a burgeoning number of individuals who claim to be in telepathic communication with ET races who reveal information on the historic ET presence in Sumer. One of these ET 'channels', is Jelaila Starr who claims to be in touch with beings from Nibiru itself, and she regularly releases online information from the Anunnaki themselves on her website. (16) Another is Sheldan Nidle who 'channels' an ET race from the star system Sirius gives extensive information on the historic presence and influence of the Anunnaki in his books and website. (17)

There is great controversy over the extent to which such a disparate collection of evidentiary sources can substantiate the Sitchin thesis of an historic ET presence in Sumer. Despite the controversy generated by such sources, they provide a wealth of information that merits closer examination in terms of their public policy implications. Given that exopolitics is based on the premise of an ET presence that is subject to non-disclosure by clandestine government organizations, it is possible to provide an exopolitical perspective on Sitchin's thesis despite the ongoing debate over the consistency and accuracy of the available evidence.

How Does the Historic ET presence relate to US policy in Iraq?

An independent archaeologist that discusses a direct link between the ancient ET presence in Sumer (southern Iraq) and current US focus on the regime of Saddam Hussein, is William Henry. Henry's main thesis is that there existed in Sumerian times a technological device which he describes as a 'Stargate', that the Anunnaki/Nephilim used to travel back and forth from their homeworld and the Earth, and also how they travel around the galaxy. (18) Henry focuses on the following scene described by Sitchin's interpretation of a cuneiform tablet of an Uruk ritual text:

Depictions have been found that show divine beings flanking a temple entrance and holding up poles to which ringlike objects are attached. The celestial nature of the scene is indicated by the inclusion of the symbols of the Sun and the Moon.... depicting Enlil and Enki flanking a gateway through which Anu is making a grand entrance. (19)

Rather than a simple temple scene involving the chief Anunnaki of the Sumerians, Anu and his two sons, Enlil and Enki, Henry proposes that the above scene represents a transportation device used by Anu and others from the elite Anunnaki. If so, then such a device is most likely located in the Sumerian city of Uruk which was the founding city of the Sumerian civilization and the home of Gilgamesh, the famed king of the Epic of Gilgamesh. (20)

Sitchin, and authors such as David Childress who discuss the various technologies used by ETs and ancient civilizations, missed the significance of the Stargate in their own translations of the above texts and investigations of ET transportation. Both operated in a conventional paradigm where transportation occurs through rocket propelled vehicles. (21) Sitchin focuses on rocket propelled spacecraft in his description of the Anunnaki and their various trips to and from the Earth. For example, describing the transportation used by the Anunnaki in moving between their earth and space based locations, Sitchin wrote: "The texts reveal that three hundred of them - The "Anunnaki of Heaven," or Igig- were true astronauts who stayed aboard the spacecraft without actually landing on Earth. Orbiting Earth, these spacecraft launched and received the shuttle craft to and from Earth." (22)

It therefore can be concluded that there were two forms of transportation used by the Anunnaki. One was a form of rocket technology familiar to us which was used by the resident Anunnaki on Earth who Sitchin, described as the "rank and file Anunnaki" who administered the Earth and humanity according to the dictates of their space based compatriots. (23) Another transportation technology was the Stargate which presumably was used only by the highest class of Anunnaki, who dispensed the tasks of harvesting the Earth's resources to the resident and space based Anunnaki (lessor gods/rebel angels). Interpreting the Babylonian Epic of Creation, one gains an idea of the way tasks were allotted and the hierarchy of the Anunnaki in the way the 'supreme god' Marduk, dispensed tasks to his subordinate Anu, chief of the Anunnaki:

Assigned to Anu, to heed his instructions, Three hundred in the heavens he stationed as a guard; the ways of Earth to define from the Heaven; And on Earth, Six hundred he made reside. After he all their instructions had ordered, to the Anunnaki of Heaven and of Earth he allotted their assignments. (24)

Thus the Anunnaki operated outposts both on Earth and in Space to maintain their control over the planet. Given the strict hierarchy of authority described by Sitchin in his detailed analysis of the Anunnaki and their interactions with one another and humanity, it is likely that the Stargate would have been revered and a subject of awe by the resident Anunnaki and humanity who could only observe its operation but were not allowed to use it themselves. As such, there would have been only a limited number of Stargates around the planet, with the Sumerian Stargate being located in the most important of the ancient Sumerian cities - the most likely being the ancient capital of Uruk, home of the ancient kings, which is located in Southern Iraq. Significantly, after a 12 year lull in excavations, a team of German researchers in 2002 resumed excavations in the buried city of Uruk. Using a magnetometer which is able to detect the presence of man-made objects beneath the soil, and a powerful computer system in Germany, German geophysicists were able to map out the buried structures of the sprawling ancient capital of 5.5 km2 that was where Sumerian civilization began. (25)

An important event in the Sumerian descriptions of the Anunnaki, was the latter's final departure from the planet during a series of cataclysmic events that culminated in the period 1800-1700 BC. (26) Indeed, conventional archeologists support the view that there was a regional cataclysmic event that occurred at that time. (27) If in fact there were two modes of transportation used by the Anunnaki, when most of the resident/lessor Anunnaki left by conventional rocket ships, elite Anunnaki most likely left by the Stargate and closed it down. Predictably, given the reverence and awe surrounding the Stargate, it would not have been left unprotected in the interim period between their departure and its reactivation with the prophesied return of the Anunnaki.

A wide number of sources describe the present era in terms of a 'prophesied return of the gods/Anunnaki'. The notion of a 'prophesied return' in the context of the former Anunnaki presence varies in meaning according to three different perspectives. The first perspective is based simply on the idea of the gods or 'Anunnaki' physically returning to resume a prominent role in influencing human affairs and overseeing the use of resources of the planet. (28) In such a scenario, the first wave of Anunnaki would arrive to create the favorable conditions for the anticipated return of the Anunnaki elite. This would involve the lessor Anunnaki first returning and activating the Sumerian Stargate that would be required for the return of their leaders. Presumably, this would be heralded as a sacred event that should be celebrated by all humanity. The authors, Clive Prince and Lyn Picknett, argue that there has been an identifiable chain of global events involving key religious and political actors preparing humanity for just such a return. (29)

The second perspective on the "return of the gods/Anunnaki' is the return of their home world, the planet Nibiru. Indeed, there has been much interest generated by a range of books and online web sites devoted to the topic of the return of Nibiru, the home world of the Anunnaki. Many authors cite a variety of astronomical evidence supporting the idea of a tenth planet that has long been speculated to influence the orbits of Uranus and Neptune ever since it was found that Pluto (discovered in 1930) could not account for these perturbations. In the late1970's two astronomers from the US Naval Observatory, Tom van Flandern and Richard Harrington, begun publishing a series of papers supporting the existence of a tenth planet. (30)

The most widely cited reference to support the thesis of a tenth planet that is known but not released to the general public, is a series of press releases by the astronomical team that were searching a part of the sky which calculations by van Flandern and Harrington suggested would be where the tenth planet was. In December 1983, the chief astronomer in charge of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) run by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr Gerry Neugebauer, announced possible confirmation of such a planet. The Washington Post Reporter summarizing the announcement wrote: "[a] heavenly body possibly as large as ... Jupiter and possibly ... part of this solar system has been found in the direction of the constellation of Orion by an orbiting telescope..." (31) After a total of six major newspapers covered the announcement, there was a retraction of the announcement and public silence by astronomers on the possible existence of a tenth planet. Rumors began to emerge of an active campaign of suppression of information and intimidation by clandestine government organizations. (32) For example, one of the astronomers at the US Naval Observatory, Dr Richard Harrington, spoke publically and wrote articles on the hypothetical planet X and there has been speculation that this directly contributed to his untimely death by 'natural causes' in 1992. (33)

A third perspective on what the 'prophesied return of the gods/Anunnaki' means can be found in authors who focus on the significance of the upcoming end of the current Mayan 5,200 year cycle. According to John Major Jenkins, the Mayans were aware of the way the solar ecliptic plane comes into alignment with the galactic plane on periodic basis. This makes it possible for more intense cosmic energies to reach the earth from the galactic core. There is then a corresponding increase or decrease in the level of human consciousness, i.e., parts of the brain either go online or off-line, as these Mayan cycles go through their different phases. According to Jenkins, the year 2012 corresponds to the end of the current Mayan cycle and will lead to a rapid transformation of global consciousness. (34) Numerous authors refer to this as a New Age of more enlightened global thinking and increased human potential. (35) The 'prophesied return of the gods' may therefore signify a rapid in human consciousness as dormant parts of the brain come on line when the solar ecliptic comes into alignment with the galactic plane. In this explanation, humanity itself would develop 'god-like' powers which spontaneously become accessible to large numbers of humanity. A number of authors, for example, have been describing the amazing abilities and psychic powers of an increasing number of children world wide. (36)

In sum, the available information on the 'prophesied return of the gods' can be understood to signify an important milestone in the growth of human civilization. The 'prophesied return' can be interpreted either literally or metaphorically to mean either a physical return of the 'gods'/Anunnaki; the return of a mysterious 10th planet to the solar system; or a rapid growth in the consciousness of humanity as the solar plane comes into alignment with the galactic plane. Despite the controversy over what precisely such a 'prophesied return' signifies, the factors in such a return that most pertain to the current political situation in Iraq and preemptive military intervention by the US can be identified and analyzed. The first factor is that an ET transportation device, a Stargate, or some other important ET artifact, may lie buried in the desert of Southern Iraq which presumably will play a role in the 'prophesied return of the gods'. Second, it is possible that there will be a return of a tenth planet that plays a critical role in return of the Anunnaki and/or which significantly impacts on the global environment. Finally, there is the potential for a rapid acceleration of human consciousness as the end of the Mayan Calendar, 2012, approaches.

Exopolitical Analysis of US policy towards Iraq

If there is a Stargate existing in Southern Iraq that will play a role in such a 'prophesied return of the gods', then it is most likely that clandestine government organizations that greatly influence or control the Bush administration, are aware of the existence and the role of this Stargate. Iraq's President Hussein is most likely also aware of such a Stargate's existence as might be inferred by his architectural projects intent on reviving the grandeur of early Mesopotamian civilizations, and cementing his place as the restorer of Iraq's past glory. (37) More significantly, his permission for a German team of archaeologists to resume excavations in the Sumerian city of Uruk after detailed underground mapping, suggests that this may be the location of the Sumerian Stargate. This knowledge of a buried Stargate, may also be part of the reason why the German government has been publically opposed to a US preemptive war against Iraq. If in fact both the Hussein regime and the Bush administration believe that a Stargate lies buried in the sands of Southern Iraq, then there most likely exists a race to gain access to it and to control it. William Henry's thesis is that this is indeed the political underpinning of the continuing military conflict in Iraq. (38)

From the perspective of the Bush administration, control of the Sumerian Stargate would enable clandestine government organizations to continue their global campaign of non-disclosure of the ET presence. (39) This is strongly implied by the Bush administration's penchant for secrecy and overturning many of the Freedom of Information initiatives from the earlier Clinton administration. Control of the Stargate, in addition to any other Stargates that may have been established in the capitals of other civilizations, e.g., the Egyptian, Incan and Aztec; would presumably give clandestine government organizations greater leverage with ET races that are presently interacting with the planet, or are predicted to arrive on the scene in some event associated with the 'prophesied return of the gods'. At the very least, control of the Sumerian Stargate would allow clandestine government organizations to dictate the pace of global transformations that ET races promise to introduce to the Earth with their advanced technology, superior knowledge and heightened psychic abilities.

On the part of Hussein Regime, control of the Stargate would allow him to activate it and to fulfill prophesy by facilitating the return of an advanced race of ETs, the elite Anunnaki. President Hussein probably imagines that in return for his loyalty to the elite Anunnaki, he would be rewarded with a position of great global authority. Perhaps he would even see himself as some kind of human savior facilitating the return of the gods who would solve all of humanity's problem, and end the rule of clandestine government organizations perpetuating non-disclosure of the ET presence. Significantly, European governments such as Germany, and perhaps even France and Russia, may be giving themselves greater leverage in the future control of the Stargate by offering diplomatic cover for the Hussein regime as a quid pro quo for allowing the resumption of archaeological digging in Uruk. These governments and the clandestine organizations associated with them that have access to knowledge over the ET presence, most likely have deep suspicion over the willingness of the US to share information and control over the future of the Sumerian Stargate and any other ET technology discovered in Iraq.

Sitchin's thesis of an ancient ET presence in Sumer combined with the notion of a variety of ET transportation devices described by other authors in their research of ancient civilizations, and resumption of archaeological excavations of the first Sumerian capital Uruk in 2002, give support to William Henry's thesis of a Stargate that lies buried in the sands of southern Iraq. This provides important contextual information that is helpful in understanding the true motivations of the Bush administration in launching a preemptive attack on Iraq.

It may be argued that the Bush administration and the Hussein Regime are both in a race against time to gain access and control of the Stargate in the ruins of Uruk or some other location in Iraq, before the prophesied return of the Anunnaki. At the moment, a stalemate exists. Hussein controls the ground in Southern Iraq, and is permitting the German led excavations in Uruk, while the US led coalition controls the sky and is monitoring the situation. The Bush administration wants control of Iraq territory to take control of excavations of Uruk to uncover its buried Stargate, and closely monitor and control it. In contrast, Hussein wants to find and activate the Stargate for his greater glory and presumably the benefit of humanity.

The primary evidentiary support for the above discussion is admittedly thin for conventional public policy experts and may sound better suited to a fictional thriller than serious public debate. From a conventional perspective, a scattered assortment of independent archeological authors, radical exegetical interpretations of biblical texts, the writings of 'channels' of ET knowledge, speculative papers from astronomers hardly constitute a persuasive source of information for understanding the motivations of US foreign policy. The prevailing explanations of a Bush administration as either devoted to eradicating Weapons of Mass Destruction, and/or being driven by oil interests and imperial ambitions would predictably prevail for those unconvinced by the above sources.

There is however some important circumstantial evidence which lends plausibility to the Henry thesis of a Stargate as the true focus of the Bush administration or at least key interest groups behind it. The first piece of circumstantial evidence, are the overwhelming whistleblower testimonies confirming the existence of clandestine government organizations responsible for suppressing public knowledge of an ET presence, and which controls all official interaction with ET races. (40) From an exopolitical perspective, then, the clandestine suppression of a contemporary ET presence, supports the conclusion that there is also an active clandestine suppression of an ancient ET presence which also has significant public policy implications.

The second piece of circumstantial evidence, is the powerful diplomatic support given by Germany and France to the Hussein Regime in warding off a preemptive military strike. So powerful has been this support, that the US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, disparagingly referred to them as the "Old Europe" in response to a reporter on January 22, 2003:

"You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's 'old Europe.' If you look at the entire NATO Europe today, the center of gravity is shifting to the East. And there are a lot of new members. And if you just take the list of all the members of NATO and all of those who have been invited in recently -- what is it, 26, something like that? [But] you're right. Germany has been a problem, and France has been a problem." (41)

Rather than backtracking on what was a diplomatic bombshell, the Bush administration has instead continued to go to extraordinary lengths to isolate the German and French positions on Iraq. For example, the administration encouraged the leaders of Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic, to write a letter to the Wall Street Journal on January 30 that said ``the Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction represent a clear threat to world security.'' (42) Rather than merely an intense diplomatic debate over different policy positions on Iraq, the striking language and positions taken in this debate suggests a more fundamental conflict over issues hidden from the public view. It is likely that there exists a factional struggle between clandestine government organizations set up to deal with the ET presence in the US, with rival organizations created in Germany, France and also Russia.

The third piece of circumstantial evidence is the resumption of excavations of the first capital of Sumer, Uruk, by a German archeological team in 2002. Given the prominence of Uruk and its likelihood as the site for a Sumerian Stargate, then resumption of excavations raises questions over why they were resumed at this time and what is being sought. Given that political tensions in Iraq had not significantly diminished in 2002 with it being a likely source of future military conflict with the US, it can be suggested that there are powerful hidden motivations for what on the surface appears to be a purely scientific dig of an ancient Sumerian capital.

The fourth piece of circumstantial evidence was the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia during its final descent on February 1, 2003, at an approximate height of 38 miles and travelling at Mach 18. One of the astronauts was the first Israeli in Space, Colonel IIan Ramon from the Israeli Airforce. Col Ramon reportedly played a role in the Israeli attack on Iraq's nuclear facility in Osirak in June 1981, and there has been speculation that his mission involved intelligence gathering over Iraq during the Shuttle's orbits. The destruction of Columbia occurred 16 minutes before touch down when its fuel tanks would have been virtually empty. A likely source of the Shuttle's destruction, given the speed and height of the Columbia, would have been some form of attack from an organization or state possessing military capabilities well beyond any terrorist groups and indeed most nations. The likely cause would have been a clandestine government organization that desired to send an important message to its US rivals over the threatened preemptive attack on Iraq.

When all the primary and circumstantial evidence is put together, what emerges is a very plausible case that supports Henry's thesis of a power struggle that goes to the heart of the ET presence and the continued clandestine suppression of ET related information and its full implications. The interpretations of the motivations of the Bush administration in launching preemptive war on Iraq in terms of the concerns raised in Bush's 2003 State of the Union address, or the corporate and imperial interests suggested by his critics such as Robert Fisk and Michael Lind, can all be described as part of the surface layer of motivations driving the Bush administration. At a deeper level, it is likely that there is great anxiety by clandestine government organizations in terms of what would happen if Hussein, with the support of the German and other European governments, gained access to the Sumerian Stargate or other ET technology buried in Uruk, or if the Stargate were to somehow reactivate without clandestine government personnel present to monitor and control the Stargate. President Bush's State of the Union address outlining the need for a preemptive attack on Iraq, in most likelihood masks a hidden agenda to gain access to the Stargate or other ET technology in Uruk and elsewhere in Iraq. Such access would presumably perpetuate clandestine government control over global resources and information at a time of increased ET activity and influence.

Conclusion: Policy Implications and Recommendations

If the exopolitical perspective is a more accurate description of the motivations driving the Bush administration in pushing for a preemptive war on Iraq, then the following policy recommendations can be made. (43) First, the quality of evidence substantiating an historic ET presence and clandestine government cover up has a significant degree of credibility and persuasiveness. This supports the creation a new field of public policy, exopolitics, which would study the historic ET presence in terms of its implications for contemporary public policy.

Second, there is a need to promote official government disclosure of the historic ET presence and/or the impending return of these ETs; and to make more representative the policy making process that has evolved in government responses to such information.

Third, evidence suggests that the present military preparations for a war against Iraq have little to do with weapons of mass destruction, but are designed to perpetuate US clandestine government control of information concerning the historic and present ET presence. Such a preemptive war should therefore be stopped and a resolution between the US, Iraq and interested European governments should be encouraged.

Fourth, evidence suggests that the Iraq conflict and the destruction of the Columbia Space Shuttle mask a deep factional struggle between clandestine government organizations associated with different national governments that were initially created to deal with the ET presence. It is recommended that there is public disclosure of these organizations and their efforts in monitoring and responding to the ET presence, and that these organizations become accountable to elected public officials.

The final policy recommendation is that there needs to be more effort in determining the extent to which congressional and legislative oversight is required for organizations created in different countries to deal with all aspects of the ET presence, both past and present, and on the implications of a projected return of a race of ETs associated with the birth of human civilization.

This paper suggests that the best mechanism for responding to the existence of ancient ET technology in the ancient Sumerian capital of Uruk and/or elsewhere, is a willingness by major world governments and associated clandestine organizations to share information and control over these ET assets. A preemptive war conducted largely for the control of a 'Stargate' in Uruk which pits the US and its allies, against an Iraq which is tacitly supported by key European nations, could be calamitous if indeed the 'prophesied return' signified an actual physical event involving the ancient ET race that played a role in the start of human civilization. Competing clandestine government organizations struggling through a proxy war over the control of ancient ET technology in order to prepare for those events corresponding to the 'prophesied return of the gods', would hardly send the best example of a mature humanity responsible enough to continue to exercise sovereignty over the Earth's resources. The Columbia Space Shuttle may well have been a high profile victim of such a proxy war intended to send a message to US based clandestine organizations over the preemptive war against Iraq. .Human sovereignty may therefore be at stake at the very time where there exists an opportunity for a rapid movement forward in the evolutionary growth of human consciousness. It is up to all humanity to decide how we respond to the challenge posed by clandestine organizations struggling over Iraq's historic resources to further their respective secret agendas.

3. See Michael Lind, Made In Texas: George W. Bush and the Southern Takeover of American Politics (Basic Books, 2002)

4. For an introduction to exopolitics, see Michael Salla, "The Need for Exopolitics: Implications of Extraterrestrial Conspiracy Theories for Policy Makers and Global Peace," www.exopolitics.org, January 20, 2003.

5. For more discussion on Exopolitics see, Michael Salla, "The Need for Exopolitics" www.exopolitics.org

6. 100 of this officials have already given testimony, with another 300 willing to do so. See Stephen Greer, Executive Summary of the Disclosure Project (Crozet, VA.: Disclosure Project, April 2001). Website: www.disclosureproject.com

18. Henry outlines his thesis in his article, "Saddam Hussein, The Stairway to Heaven and the Return of Planet X" which is available on his website www.williamhenry.net . This is based on his book Ark of the Christos: The Mythology, Symbolism and Prophecy of the Return of Planet X and the Age of Terror, both of which are available from his website: www.williamhenry.net

19. Sitchin, When Time Began: Book V of the Earth Chronicles (Avon, 1993) 113-14.

20. In contrast Henry believes that the Stargate was buried in some secret location by the Bablyonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, after having been re-taken from Jerusalem. Saddam Hussein, The Stairway to Heaven and the Return of Planet X" which is available on his website www.williamhenry.net

21. Sitchin describes the transportation of the Nefilim/Anunnakin, in his chapter, "The Nefilim: People of the Fiery Rockets," The 12th Planet, 128-72. See also Childress' chapter on "Ancient Flight and Aerial Warfare," Extraterrestrial Archeology, 147-210.

22. Sitchin, The 12th Planet, 327

23. Sitchin, The 12th Planet, 327

24. Sitchin, The 12th Planet, 327

25. For description of the resumption of archeological digs in Iraq, see Charles Recknagel, "Iraq: Archaeological Expedition Mapping Ancient City Of Uruk," Radio Free Europe, May 3. http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2002/05/03052002101632.asp

26. Sitchin describes these events in the third volume of his Earth Chronicles series, The Wars of Gods and Men (Avon, 1999)

27. For reference to this regional disaster, see an article by the Chief Archeologist from the University of Chicago, Prof McGuire Gibson, "Nippur - Sacred City of Enlil Supreme God of Sumer and Akkad." First published in Al-Rafidan, Vol. XIV (1993 ) and made available online at at http://asmar.uchicago.edu/OI/PROJ/NIP/PUB93/NSC/NSC.html

28. Such a view is described by a number of 'channels' including Sheldan Nidle, First Contact; and Jelaila Star, We are the Niburuans. Their respective websites are www.paoweb.net and www.niburuancouncil.net

29. Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince, The Stargate Conspiracy: The Truth About Extraterrestrial Life and the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt (Berkley Books, 1999)

35. One of the first to identify this upcoming transition was Jose Arguelles and Brian Swimme, The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology (Bear and Co., 1987)

36. See Lee Carroll and Jan Tober, The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived (Hay House, 1999); and Drunvalo Melchizidek, The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life (Light Technology Publications, 2000) Vol 2, 443-54.

37. Henry discusses these projects in Ark of the Christos.

38. Henry outlines this in his article, "Saddam Hussein, The Stairway to Heaven and the Return of Planet X" which is available on his website www.williamhenry.net .

39. For more discussion of this non-disclosure, see M. Salla, "The Need for Exopolitics."